I Thought I Lost You
by kanojo19
Summary: Ino thought having Sasuke as her boyfriend would be different from the ones she had before. It was different, way further than what she had expected. Sasuke x Ino. Reviews please. Thanks. n n


**A/N:** Sasuke and Ino here are not really ninjas. They are ordinary people and a little OOC but hope you'll like it. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. (but I wish I do… :P)

**I THOUGHT I LOST YOU**

kanojo19

Ino hurriedly ate breakfast and not because she was late for school but because Sasuke will be waiting for her so he could accompany her to school. It was 5:45 in the morning and she's at their terrace checking for any signs of Sasuke. Without a second thought, she went down the stairs as she Sasuke's figure sitting on a bench nearby.

"Good morning hon." Sasuke whispered in her ears while moving her closer using his left arm.

"Good morning." Ino flashed him a smile.

They've been like this ever since they've confessed their feelings for each other. It's been ten months since she broke up with Shikamaru so she thinks there'll be no problem if Sasuke will be her boyfriend. And besides, they live on the same apartment so they won't be having any problems, unlike when she was with Shikamaru, they rarely see each other. Yes, they were schoolmates at high school but Shikamaru is two years her senior so when he graduated, she was left there, with the slightest clue of what's happening to him. Her parents also don't want her to have a boyfriend just yet. For God's sake, she's only twelve that time. So she had no choice but to break up with him or else her parents will have her stop her schooling, though her father agreed that she can have a boyfriend when she starts going to college. Since she is about to graduate high school, and that Sasuke is just two floors down her, she hoped that things would be different.

It's different. It was really different.

She guesses she hadn't known Sasuke enough or that he really has changed drastically. Their first two months of being together were okay even her parents were against it but when Sasuke's father ordered him to manage their business in a place twelve hours travel time away from Ino, things got real twisted. On the first week, Ino started to miss him badly, though she received e-mails from Sasuke saying he misses her also. She missed the way he kissed her, his smirk, the way he moved his hands and caressed her back when they're entangled to each other, and a lot more things that he does. A month later, Ino suddenly didn't hear anything from him – no e-mails, no text messages, and no phone calls. She's now really getting worried of what's happening to him. Every night, she still tries to call him 'til she falls asleep. It's been three months and she still has no news from him.

_**Well it's hard to explain but I'll try if you let me… well it's hard to sustain but I'll cry if you let me… **_She still wonders whether he thinks about her. _**This doesn't change the way I feel about you or your place in my life… please don't cry… **_She was about to fall asleep when her phone rang.

"Unregistered number…" She muttered. _'Could it be him?'_ She answered anyway.

"Hon!" The voice was arrestingly deep and it was too familiar for her not to recognize. She's too shocked and she can't speak. She wanted to get mad but she can't. Tears just went rolling down her cheeks.

"Hey! Why are you so quiet? Don't you miss me?" The voice told her again.

"I do, I really do…" She finally spoke out, trying real hard for him not to notice she's crying. "How have you been?" She continued.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me…" His background was noisy. It's like full of people laughing and chatting to each other.

"Hey! Who are you talking to?" Ino heard a voice of a young man. _'It must be his friend.'_ She didn't mind. Instead she tried to focus on what Sasuke was saying.

"It's impossible for me-"

Ino tried to speak but Sasuke interrupted her.

"I have something to tell you." Sasuke started.

"What is it?" For an unknown reason, Ino felt her chest pounding.

"Please don't get mad," Sasuke said.

'_Now this is really something.'_ She wiped her tears.

"Uhmm… It depends. What is it?" Ino asked.

"I had my ear pierced." Sasuke started.

"There's nothing to be angry about that."

"And we've been drinking almost every day, and I learned how to smoke."

_'What a news?' _He had been totally different. Ino can't control herself. She cried, loud enough for Sasuke to hear. "What happened to you?"

"Hey, hey… hon don't cry. You're making me cry."

"Why can't I contact you?" Ino changed the topic.

"I lost my phone."

"Then whose phone is this?"

"It's my friend's."

"Can I call you in this number?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Beep…"

Ino didn't know if he hanged up or if he was out of batteries or he had no signal. She tried to call him again. "The subscriber you are calling-" Ino redialed. "The subscriber-" Ino repeated the same process over and over. She felt her body wanted to collapse and fall asleep but her brain kept on playing her conversation with Sasuke. _'It's that easy for him to tell those things? How can he do that? It sounds like he wasn't sorry at all. What else can he do?' _These thoughts kept on bugging her 'til she drifted to dreamland.

_**But how do you expect me to live alone with just me? 'Cause my world revolves around you it's so hard for me to breathe…**_ Ino woke up still with her earphones on her ears. She got up and faced the mirror. _'Man, my eyes are swollen as hell.'_ Good thing it's Saturday and she won't have a hard time finding reasons to tell her classmates what happened to her eyes. Her college life had just started. Her grades were all above average but she found no reason to be happy.

Two months had passed and she still hadn't heard anything from him. But still, she continued her routine of checking her e-mail before going home. She's quite lucky this time because Sasuke finally e-mailed her. Well, not as lucky as she thought. The mail wasn't really about her or them, unlike his first e-mail that talks mainly about how he misses her. In this case, Sasuke is asking permission if he can go to Temari's house, his 'friend'. He also said that this 'friend' of his looks a little like Ino – they're both blonde, though Temari's skin is like a tone darker from her, and she's a year older than Ino. He also told her how they met, that he first saw her in a bar where his uncle was celebrating his birthday. Now, Temari's inviting Sasuke to her parent's house to sort of introduce him so Sasuke is asking if Ino would let him. _'Why would she want to introduce Sasuke to her parents? Does she know what that means? Did she ever consider how I'm gonna feel? What does Sasuke mean when he said he sees me in her? Could it be that he's falling for her?'_ A lot of things came across Ino's mind. There are so many questions she wanted to ask him but instead, she just asked him "Why would she want her parents to meet you?"

A week had passed and she received no reply. _'How can we continue living like this?'_ One afternoon, while she's busy doing her school project, her phone rang. She knew who it was.

"You're gone. What happened to you?" Ino asked.

"My friend won't let me borrow his cellphone. I can't think of a way to contact you."

"If you really wanted to talk to me, I'm sure you could always make a way but if you don't, you have a lot of reasons."

"How can I do that?"

"I don't know. How come when you need to ask something you can e-mail me?"

"Okay, I'll e-mail you then. I promise."

"What is it you're asking anyway? Who's this Temari you're talking about?"

"She's a friend of mine, though she says she likes me." Sasuke is a certified heart throb, and Ino is very aware of that.

"How come she wanted you to meet her parents?"

"I don't know. She just wanted to introduce me… uhmm… like a boyfriend?"

"What? What kind of friend is that? She knows you have a girlfriend and yet, she introduced you as his boyfriend?"

"She doesn't know…"

"Ooh! She doesn't… okay…" Ino's trying to control her temper. "Why didn't you tell her?"

"I'll tell her later."

"She already introduced you. What's the point of doing that?"

"Alright, I'm sorry."

"I wish you knew what that means."

"By the way, she's asking me if I wanted to live with her in her apartment."

"Why would you stay there? Don't you have a house?"

"Dad and I had a fight, and he wants me out."

"If you're gonna ask me, I don't like it. I hate the fact that you're staying with some woman you met at the bar, but still, it's up to you."

"Okay, then I won't."

"Good. I hope you understand why."

"I love you Ino."

"I love you too." Ino hadn't heard this for a long time. She can't help but let her tears out.

"Hey, I gotta go now."

"Okay, bye."

Ino knew she had to count months before she could talk to him again. All she has now is the hope that he still loves her and a handful of trust.

_**All I hear is raindrops falling on the rooftop… baby why do you have to go? 'Cause this pain I feel won't go away and today… I'm officially missing you…**_ Well, she's right. After three months, he called again saying he was now living with Temari. With the way he tells everything, it's as if something already 'happened' between him and Temari but Ino is not quite sure but she wanted to find out soon, but she can't.

As things got worse between her and Sasuke, her childhood crush Kiba showed up in the picture. Kiba got Ino's number from her friends so he finally found a way to reach Ino.

"Hey, it's me Kiba. Do you remember?"

"Oh, of course…" She's still quite shocked.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine, how about you?"

"I already had 16 girlfriends, but still waiting for you."

Kiba tried tocourt her when she was in elementary but she didn't entertain him. Kiba tried to win her heart again when she was in high school but she was with Shikamaru that time, and now, she bet he's trying again.

"Oh, really?" Ino asked.

"Yeah! Uhmm… can we see each other? I really miss you."

"Why would I want to see you?"

"Because you also miss me?"

"What?" Ino exclaimed.

"Just kidding… so when?"

"I don't know."

"Uhmm… can you please help me with my math? I desperately need help."

"Fine, fine… I'll see you… when?" Ino finally agreed. _'There's nothing wrong if I help him with his math, right?'_

"Tell me." Kiba answered.

"Okay, let's meet on Wednesday, after my class at around three in the afternoon."

"Where?"

"Uhmm… your house is on my way home. I'll meet you there."

"Okay… can't wait to see you."

"Okay… bye." _'Can this be a way of getting over Sasuke?'_

Ino understands that it'll be hopeless to still continue her relationship with Sasuke. It's like Sasuke doesn't care at all with what Ino might feel. She doesn't feel important anymore, and he's already with another girl. Ino can't figure out why she can't let him go. It's like she's trapped in her own fairy tale that's slowly deteriorating into a nightmare.

Wednesday, after class, Ino hurriedly left school because she doesn't want to keep him waiting. She hates waiting so she doesn't want anyone waiting for her. She still remembers the way to Kiba's house and he found him waiting for him at the gate.

"Come on in."

"Thanks."

When she came in, she greeted Kiba's mother, who didn't have a hard time recognizing her. Kiba walked her pass their kitchen, upstairs, to his room where Ino found her laptop open and a lot of papers beside.

"Well, let's get started. I don't have much time." Ino said, though she knows deep inside she had plenty of time.

"Yeah we do." Kiba had her sat on his bed where his laptop was so Ino could finally take a look on what he is asking help about. "You can check your e-mail if you want." Kiba suggested.

"Okay then."

Kiba rested his head on Ino's shoulder. She didn't mind.

"You know you're still cute," Kiba said. He started moving his hands around her waist. She wanted to stop him but she can't. It's like her voice was trapped inside of her and she can't let them out. He slowly leaned his face near Ino's.

"I've always liked you, but you never did." Kiba said.

Her body felt numb, she can't move. He leaned closer and with every move, Ino is leaning back and soon she found herself pinned on the bed with her childhood crush over him.

"Forget about your boyfriend. Please be with me instead." Kiba whispered in her ears.

She knows this is so wrong but she can't understand why there's no part of her that wanted to resist. She closed her eyes shut forcefully, enough for Kiba to notice her unvoiced resistance. He got up the bed and fetched something to drink.

Ino was left there lying in bed. She had always liked him, her entire elementary were filled of thoughts of him. But Ino went to a scholarship school which Kiba's knowledge can't reach so they lost contact of each other. Given the chance, she had always wanted him to be his boyfriend but he always had a bad timing. First he was too young, second, she had a boyfriend, and now, she also has a boyfriend though she herself wasn't sure if she can still consider herself as her girlfriend because somebody else took claim of that position with Sasuke half agreeing, without them telling her. She is really confused.

Ino continued to check her e-mail. She again saw the message Sasuke sent her and read it again. She finally decided that she'll break up with him. He's far away with another girl and Ino can't even talk to him. What else could she do? She totally lost him. So she decided to send him an e-mail saying she wanted to break up with him, and she thinks, Kiba deserves a chance. From that moment, she considered it's finally over with him and Sasuke.

Kiba's back with a tray with two glasses on one hand and a pitcher on the other. She poured her water and outstretched his arms Ino giving her a drink. She's still quite pale with the incident and she doesn't know how to react. Kiba laughed noticing her nervousness.

"What's that look on your face? It's like you've seen a ghost." Kiba laughed after speaking.

Ino regained her sanity and hit Kiba at the back.

"Ouch! That hurts."

"It's your fault, and that's for making me nervous."

The atmosphere went light, as if nothing happened. The two continued to work on Kiba's assignment. They were sitting side by side on Kiba's bed with a book on Ino's hands.

"So that's how you're going to find the value of _x_." Ino explained.

"Ino…" Kiba called her.

"Ye-"

Ino hadn't finished answering when Kiba's lips suddenly touched hers. After the smack, he pulled away. Ino can't speak. Instead, she got her bag and fixed her things and told Kiba that she'll go home already. While she's fixing her hair in front of the mirror, Kiba encircled his arms on her waist then rested his chin on Ino's shoulders.

"It's been two months since you last saw each other. Please choose me instead of him."

Ino is still speechless. She went down the stairs with Kiba following behind her. She bade goodbye to his mother then when she was about to go out the house, Kiba called her.

"Can I have a kiss?" Kiba asked with a smirk on his face.

The look on his face made Ino smile. She walked closer to him then gave him a smack on his cheek. She can't understand why she did what he asked but nothing inside her felt heavy when she kissed him.

"I'll get you home," Kiba said.

_**Your eyes are watering. I said were better off this way. Things change, it's happening every day. She'll come and take my place and show you things that I just couldn't face. We'll sit and sing a song of what we did wrong. **_After two days, she received a call from Sasuke.

"Hey! How are you?"

Tears rolled down her eyes.

"Ino?"

"Yes?"

"Why?" Sasuke asked, puzzled.

"Have you read my message the other day?"

"I haven't. Why? What does it say?"

Ino cried and cried.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"You're asking me what's wrong?" Ino tried to control her temper.

"Honey, I'm sorry for all the things I did."

"You wanna know what I wrote in my message?"

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"It says I'm already breaking up with you."

"Are you sure you wanna break up with me?"

Ino cried.

"Don't you love me anymore?"

"It's very tiring to love someone like you."

"Can I have another chance?"

Ino paused in silence thinking if she's gonna give Sasuke a second chance.

"All right." Ino spoke out.

"So that means I'm still your boyfriend?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you so much! I love you Ino"

"…" Ino didn't reply. She's not quite sure if she still loves Sasuke.

"Hey, I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?" Ino asked.

"Like what I've told you, it's a surprise. You'll know tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Hey hon, got to go now." Sasuke said.

"Okay, bye."

She doesn't know if Sasuke deserves a second chance, but she already accepted him – again, so she thought, there's no point in debating with herself. Kiba didn't get in touch with her after the incident in Kiba's house. So she thinks that what happened back that day was really nothing.

Ino can't concentrate in class thinking about these things. She patiently waited for the bell to ring and at last, the class is dismissed. She went straight home still wondering with her thoughts. When she was about to climb the stairs, she heard someone walking towards her. That man encircled arms around her waist then rested its face on her shoulders smelling her scent.

"Welcome back hon."

The arms and hands holding her right now are very familiar as well as the man's scent. She knew perfectly well to whom that arrestingly deep voice belonged to – it's Sasuke.

"I thought you'd never come back." Ino said surprised.

"I told you. It's a surprise."

Ino's thoughts of dumping him were all lost in space now that he's already in front of him, in flesh.

"Can I ask you something again?"

"What is it?" Ino asked.

"Are you still my girl?"

"Of course I am." Ino said with a smile on her face.

He leaned closer to her, used his manly arms to pull her closer to him then kiss her lightly on her lips.

"I love you Ino."

"I love you too Sasuke."

The kiss sealed their relationship with Ino hoping it's really real this time, which he won't have to leave her again and she will not think of dumping her again, and that they'll last forever. She's mad but the sight of him made her feel calm and the thought that she's in his arms makes her feel at peace. It's like all sins had been washed away with the tears she shed and the sea of forgiveness carried them away.

**-The End-**

**A/N: **Hope you liked it. Reviews please. :)


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